Various forms of home theatre arrangements have become increasingly popular in recent years. Often, such systems include a combination of video and audio components configured to work together to provide an audio/video arrangement that is often better than that provided by a television alone. Video displays in such arrangements can include various flat-panel or flatscreen television or the like, including LCD type displays, plasma type displays or other similar types of televisions. Video displays can also be a computer monitor that similarly incorporates a flat panel arrangement using an LCD screen or the like.
Audio components utilized with home theatre systems can be in the form of a speaker connected with either the video display itself, one or more content devices (such as a cable or satellite receiver box, a DVD or Blu-Ray player, a computer-based media center or the like) or an audio/video receiver. In another example, an audio component can be a fully-contained, all-in-one audio source of the type commonly referred to as a “sound bar” or the like. These types of audio components typically have integrated switching, decoding and amplification components so as to receive various types of audio signals (such as various standards of surround sound signals including for example Dolby® 5.1 and 7.1 channel). A sound bar can be configured to amplify the decoded sound and present that sound via one or more speakers included therein. They can further be configured to simulate a surround sound environment using only its integrated speakers according to a program included therein that utilizes surround sound information from the decoded audio signal. Sound bars can also include switching circuitry so that multiple sound sources can be connected therewith for selective audio presentation thereby. Other audio components can also be in the form of center-channel speakers or the like or one or more standard speakers. These types of audio components, including the aforementioned center channel surround speakers and sound bars, are typically associated, or used extensively, with video displays. Often, however, these types of components are configured to rest on a surface, such as a shelf or component cabinet or the like, or to mount to a wall, but not specifically to mount to a television.
Flat-panel type video displays typically include various structures or elements thereon for attachment of the display with various external components. For example, video displays often include structures to removably attach a stand thereto so that the television can stably rest on a surface. Further, video displays can include specific mounting features to attach with a specific type of audio component. In most cases, however, such mounts are only configured to work with specific audio components made by that brand within a specific time period. This makes mounting with earlier or later released audio components made by different manufacturers difficult or unworkable, except in the instances mentioned above where a video display such as a television is configured to work specifically with a preselected audio component. Because, however, audio components are typically configured to mount to a wall, they often include various mounting structures or points of attachment that are included to be used in mounting the components to a wall. Because of the flexible nature of wall mounting, these mounting structures often differ among manufacturers, both in the type of fixation element with which they can attach as well as the spacing between such structures (as multiple points of attachment are often necessary).
Although neither audio components nor video displays are often configured to attach together, or such that audio components can mount to video displays, there are instances where attaching or mounting an audio component to a video display would be desirable. In an example, flat-panel television stands have been developed that include a vertical post on which the television can be mounted. A speaker cannot be mounted on a wall behind such a post, because it would be blocked by the post. In another example, when a video display is itself mounted to an articulating or rotating stand or display wall-mount, having the audio component attached with the video display (and optionally additional components such as a cable box, DVD or Blu-Ray® players, multi media players, and the like) would allow the audio component to move with the video display. Similar advantages of the above examples can also be realized when mounting a display from the ceiling or from a simple post or pole. Further, some may simply prefer to have a sound bar mounted over a video display instead of having to arrange for additional shelf space on which to rest a sound bar, which could be accomplished if measures are taken to prevent instability or tipping due to the extra weight of the sound bar, etc., which can include securing the television to the surface on which it rests such as by the television base or by other means.